Pyrophoric hand lighter



April 8, 1930. K. F. PRO JAHN 1,753,835

' PYROPHORIG HAND LIGHTER Filed Dec. 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

K. F. PROJAHN PYROPHORIC HAND LIGHTER Filed Dec. 18. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 Patented Apr. 8, 1930 ducing a light;

UNITED STATESfPATENT] o FicE KARL rnrnnmon rRoJAnn, on AscfiArFnNBUne; GERMANY, :ASSIGNOR r0 'rnn I FIRM: LowENTHAL a WEISSZBERGER, G. M. :B. H., or I'RANKnoRT-oN-mnE-mm,

GERMANY I rvnorrronrc HAND LIGHTER Application filed December 18, 1928, Serial The invention relates to lighters for lighting cigarettes and cigars, for example, and is of the type using a block or piece of pyrophoric metal and a file or friction device moving over the latter. And the object of the invention is to produce a device improved in respect of construction and convenience or east of operation and manipulation which will appear from what is set forth hereinafter and as will be apparent to those familiar with such devices.

The'invention consists in whatever is described by or is included with the terms or scope of t e appended claims.

. In the drawings which represent very good embodiments of the invention by way of illustration, r

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a lighter em bodyingthe invention; 1 I

Fig. 2 is a similar view with parts in vertical section and with the movable parts in the position for producing a light;

Fig.- 3 is aside elevation with the position of parts in full lines at the instant of pro- Fig. 4 is a top plan View thereof; 7

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views respectively of screw plugs. Fig. 6 showing the plug with a holder orcontainer of blocks of spark-producing metal; 7 I

Fig. 7 is a detail view partly in section of the file-carrying shaft and securing means;

which has a lining b of Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively side and top views in detail of a form of file or friction device that may be used;

' Figs. lO'and 11 are respectively detail views in side elevation partly insection and intop plan view of the removable wind shield;

Fig. 12 is a detail view showing the ap-, plication of a cigar cutter toa snuffer or eX- tinguisher arm of a cigar lighter.

As usual with lighters of the description to which the invention relates, there is a fiat .rect'angular box-like receptacle a adapted to hold a suitable quantity of liquid fuel and absorbent material such as cotton, wool or the like. The bottom of the box has apertures or holes for the entrance of liquid fuel which are closed each by a screw plug at one of which, as shown in No. 326,748, and in eermmi na 25, 1928.

detail in Fig. 6, has secured to it a shell g that may be a tube closed at one end-whose open end is screwed into the plug for ready- I removal and-,which constitutes a storage chamber for spare or extra s ark-producing pieces or flints. To avoid t e necessity of using a screw-driver to remove and apply these plugs each has a slot of a size and form to receive the edge of a coin which may thus be used in lieu of a screw-driver. The slot is preferably made arcuate to best receive the a edge of the coin.

As usual towards one side of the box and passing through a hole in the top thereof, is a wick-tube k for the usual wick g, and the wick-tube projects a short distance outside to receive a wind guard or shield p in the form of a shell or cup with a hole in the bottom to fit over the projecting portion of the wick tube and open at the top and having in the side that is placed towards the spark-' producing means, presently described, a vertical slot for the passage of the sparks to the wick to ignite the same. Preferably small holes are providednear the botom of the shield for supplying air to the wick to support combustion.

At the center of the box is located the spark-producing means that include a tube c that extends from the top of the box downward with its upper end open and in the upper part of which is placed the spark-pro ducing metal or flint e in the usual form.

of an oblong block and which is engaged on its lower end within the tube by a coil spring d which tends to force it upward to project it infriction contact with the file or friction device, f mounted on the top of the box. The coil spring d at its lower end has a hearing which may be a removable plug 0 having a coin-engaging slot like the plugs, n.

Fixed to one end of the shaft, 15 is a crank arm or handle '0, with a finger button w at one end and having at the other end an arm a: that extends parallel with the shaft 25 across the top of the box and which is engaged by one end of a coil spring 2, whose other end bears upon the top of the box a, so that when the handle '22 is moved in one direction, it will wind up or increase the tension of the spring and when the handle is released the spring acting on the arm a: in unwinding will turn the shaft and the friction device with sufficient force and speed to produce sparks from the flint and project them to the upper end of the wick.

As is usual a snuffer for the flame and cover for the exposed upper vend of the wick is provided in the form of acap z'. Said cap is secured to one end of an arm is which is pivoted on the top of the box towards the side opposite the wick, it being so pivoted to the upper end of a tubular member Z, that is secured to the box top, so as to extend par tially within and partially without the same and constitutes a holder or container for a coil spring m which at its outer end bears against either of two surfaces on the arm 70 at right angles and at its other end bears against the closed inner end of the tubular casing Z. One of the surfaces on the arm against which the upper end of the spring bears, is situated with reference to the arm pivot, so that when the arm is in the wickcovering position shown in Fig. 1, the spring will hold it in such position and the other surface at right angles thereto is so situated that when the arm is, is in the raised position, shown in Fig. 2, the spring will hold it in that position and thus without any attention on the part of the user the arm 70 will be automatically held in each of its two positions, one for covering the top of the wick and the other for permitting the ignition of the wick and the use of" the light in lighting a cigarette or cigar.

The handle arm a: lies beneath the arm 70 when the latter is in wick-end covering posion, so that when the'handle o is pressed downward to swing in the direction of the arrow, A of Fig. 1 for the purpose of producing a light, the first effect will be to lift the arm against the pressure of the spring m to a point where the pressure of the spring m will be exerted to swing the arm is to the fully raised position shownin Fig. 2, and when the handle '0 has been moved sufficiently far to produce the desired tension on the file operating spring 2 said handle is released, whereupon the arm k with the file f is rotated to produce the wick-igniting spark. To extinguish the light, it is necessary merely to depress the arm is from the raised position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 to the lower position shown in Fig. 1. i

The arm or also serves the function of 8.

. stop by striking the top of the box a when the spring has swung the handle 41 the desired extent to produce the spark. To limit the swing of the handle .in the direction to wind the spring or place it under tension, the handle 1) is provided with a radial finger 3 on the opposite side of the shaft from the arm as so that said finger 3 will strike the top of the box a at the desired point in the motion of the handle to stop it.

It will be observed that the file or friction device f does not move through a full circle. It may conveniently, however, be made in the form of a ring or disc, but that is not necessary because it can be the segment of a circle. And if desired as shown in Figs 8 and 9, the file may have a radial extension which will lie under the arm is to serve the purpose of the arm as of the operating handle to start the arm 70 upward from wick-covering position, and said radial projection can also serve the stop function of the arm 02.

As shown in F ig; 12, the arm which carries the wick covering cap may be made to serve as a cigar cutter by providing a hole for the insertion of the tip of the cigar and pivoting to the side of the arm 7: a knife or cutter whose An important advantagefrom the provision of the handle and spring device to rotate the file or spark-producing member, is that the thumb or finger does not have to be placed in contact with said member which besides being an inconvenient way to rotate it, is objectionable because of the soiling'of the finger or thumb by contact with the smoky or sooted surface of the file. The spark-producing means in connection with the extinguishing and wick protecting device make a very simple and inexpensive construction, especially when compared with that type of construction which provides a complete lid or cover with 'a spring for throwing it open when a latch is released and which is operatively connected with the file wheel.

What I claim is: I

1. A lighter comprising a box with sides and top, a wick-holder that exposes the wick at the top of the box, a rotary friction device, a shaft supporting said device on the top of the box and extending cross-wise thereof, a handle mounted on said shaft and extending downward adjacent the side of the box and a spring interposed between the handle and the rotary friction device acted upon by said handle when manually moved and reacting on said handle to move the friction device, said handle being situated for engagement by a finger of the hand holding the box, said handle'having .an arm extending across the top of the box with which said spring engages.

2. A lighter comprising abox with a top and sides, a wick at the top of the box, a spark producing device on the top of the box, in-

eluding a rotary friction element and a shaft extending crosswise of the box, a handle mounted on said shaft. extending downward adj acent, the side of the box a coil sprin located between the handle and said rotary '0- tion device, the handle having an. arm extending across the top of the box-with which said spring engages, an arm carrying a wickcovermg cap pivoted to the top of the box, said handle arm havinf'a portion in position to engage the undersi e 0 said arm to raise the arm when the handle is moved to wind the spring, a spring device extending from said arm adjacent 1ts pivot downward into the box through the top thereof, said arm having surfaces acted on by said spring device in alternation to hold the arm in either wick-covering or wick-uncovering position. In testimony whereof I aflix my si ature. KARL FRIEDRICH PROJ N. 

